Radiant Winter
by Vulpesacris
Summary: Sasuke is back. He brings blood, suspicion, and the most afeared of all: memories. Dwell in darkness, dance in light. sasunaru
1. But the Light is Cold

**Disclaimer:**_ Naruto_ does not belong to me. None of the characters belong to me. Only the plot of this fanfiction.

**Warning: **Boyxboy. Shounen-ai. Possible smut? The works.

_The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light._

_~Felix Adler  
_

**But the Light is Cold  
**

The first few years after the Uchiha massacre had been grim and lonely for Sasuke. There were few tolerable moments except perhaps for training and sleep, and even the latter would be disturbed more often than not by recurring nightmares filled with paralyzing fear, futile rage, and an overwhelming sadness that tore at the void within that only grew wider and darker with time.

It wasn't until many years later that the young Uchiha left Konoha to pursue his vengeance and lost himself further in the process. Before that however, he had met Team 7, a laughable group with whom he had managed to forge strong bonds as the experiences that they faced brought them closer together. Their bond, though incomparably strong for the brief period in which it had been constructed, had not gathered enough faith to battle the pain from bonds broken before it. So when Uchiha Sasuke severed all ties with Konoha in his quest for power, Team seven along with the rest of the village was tossed to the wind.

Perhaps the only things that were not abandoned were the little snippets of memories that had warmed the coldest nights, but grown Sasuke had long forgotten these childhood incidents. They remained faded in the dark recesses of his subconscious, pushed deeper and deeper as frustration and hate ate him away.

**-Light-  
**

A little black haired boy, lean, but otherwise average in size for his tender age of nine, strode warily through the bustling streets. There were so many people all around him and now that he had noticed, a good many number of new light displays. He weaved silently through the blissful crowds around him, his gloominess unnoticed amidst the cheerful sentiments of everyone else.

In truth, Sasuke really hadn't wanted to head out during the holidays. There was simply too much fuss, and at this time of year the weather was biting cold. The young Uchiha let out a silent sigh and wrapped his navy blue scarf tighter around his collar. He quickened his pace, hoping that the market had not closed too early for the seasonal celebrations.

When Sasuke reached the intersection to a main street, he looked up and saw an unending hoard of people seeming to march down in continuous torrents before him. Sasuke frowned and turned, deciding to take the roundabout route through the village square instead.

When Sasuke reached the village square, he halted in his tracks at the sight before him. There were even more people here than on the streets! The nine year old gave a defeated sigh as he inwardly reprimanded himself for his temporary lapse in memory. _The Festival of Lights_ was always celebrated the most around the village's central expanse. There were stalls set up in tight rows, all decorated in bright, gaudy colours. There were people everywhere and sounds of boisterous chatter filled the air.

The vendors leaned over their tables and made deals with the adults as the children giggled at their new toys. Nii-chans and their girlfriends traipsed around with gigantic stuffed animals. Old timers joked about how the times didn't really seem to have changed all that much.

Sasuke hated the people, hated the noise, and hated the disgustingly sweet _happiness_ that lingered in the air and threatened to suffocate him. The bitter little boy turned on his heels and marched back in the direction from which he'd come. The damn market was probably closed by now anyways.

Sasuke walked and walked down silent roads, getting further and further away from the village square. He forced the escalating anger back and as usual, locked up all of his emotions. He found himself focusing on just his feet, one step right, one step left. Sasuke hadn't pictured a destination, but when he noticed that his feet had crossed over from paved paths onto dusty greenery, he looked up to find himself at the training grounds.

It really hadn't been a surprise considering this was one of his most frequented spots. What Sasuke was more curious about was the single figure up ahead, standing underneath one of the training grounds' ancient trees.

From where Sasuke stood at the edge of the clearing, he only saw the profile of a small blond kid who seemed to be holding a jar and a stick. The kid, who looked to be about his age, was wearing an orange hoodie. He was keenly observing the medium sized jar in his right hand. Sasuke took a step closer and realized that the stick he was holding in the other hand was actually a net, one that was used for bug-catching. A little bit curious, and very cautious as usual, Sasuke leaned forward and demanded of the boy, "What are you doing?"

The little boy flinched at the sound that had interrupted his quiet fascinations and turned deep, startled eyes on Sasuke. By the light of the rising moon, Sasuke saw that the large irises were dappled in shades of brilliant blue. The blond boy suddenly grinned, his eyes curving into delighted slits, and thrust the jar in his hand toward Sasuke.

Sasuke furrowed his brows as he wondered what kind of tiny creature the strange kid was capturing. Suddenly, the jar started twinkling. Sasuke gasped, stunned as he saw the previously boring little critters starting to flutter and glow. The insects hovered and twisted, all flying energetically inside the little jar and flashing their lights.

"Pretty, isn't it?" The blond boy asked, a soft grin on his whisker-scratched face.

"Hn," Confirmed Sasuke, as he held out his hands. The kid inside of him yearned to touch the naturally glowing specimen.

"I'll give it to you," The blond boy smirked, "But only if you tell me your name."

"Sasuke." Came the amazed boy's reply as he made uncharacteristic grabby hands at the jar. "And yours?"

The delighted child grinned and dimples formed below his cheek scars. He held the jar out to Sasuke's inviting hands. "Naruto."

**-Light-  
**

"Oh," Naruto gasped as he flipped through the air and landed in the middle of a clearing. "That's amazing!"

Gazing from a comfortable angle, the blond shinobi had spotted the grand gates of Konoha just a short distance ahead. He was returning from a long mission that had occupied him for the past fortnight and as soon as his team had successfully completed their assignment he had taken the lead in rushing full-speed back to their beloved village.

"Yeah, they managed to set everything up early this year," answered Tenten as she gracefully leapt from the trees to join Naruto. They admired the seasonal lights and decorations adorning the arch of the village entrance.

"The beauty of this magnificent display of youthful luminosity fills my eyes with springtime joy!" The green butterfly-band-aid that was Rock Lee presented himself beside his two teammates.

Naruto turned to his fashionably-challenged friend. "Bushy-brows! I thought granny-Tsunade had asked you to help set up the decor." Naruto raised a golden eyebrow, remembering on the spot.

"Noooo, it had escaped my mind! We did not make it back in time! I have failed to fulfill my youthful promise!" Lee's face, within seconds, transformed into a gushing waterfall. "Now I must complete backflips back to the village without hands and apologize with all the remaining vestiges of my springtime sorrows!"

As Lee demonstrated his gymnastic prowess and disappeared in a verdant blur, Tenten sighed. "It's actually winter..."

"Aaaw, come on Tenten," Urged Naruto as he made to chase after Lee. "Let's just head back and see if the partying has started up!"

"Fine," Tenten agreed as she ran alongside her temporary teammate, "The _Festival of Lights_ should be fun."

Once the three teammates had reported to the hokage on their epic confrontation with the corrupt leaders of a small town off Fire Country's edge, Tsunade had congratulated them on a mission well done and granted each a brief vacation to revel in the annual celebration.

Naruto instantly headed outside to explore the seasonally decorated streets. He joined Kiba and Hinata when he bumped into the two at a side road lined with one-story townhouses. The two members of team 8 had completed their own mission within Konoha earlier in the day and were now heading towards the village center where all the best festival stalls were set up every year.

"Kiba my man, where the heck is bugboy?" Naruto asked as they passed by deserted streets with shops that had closed early in anticipation of the evening entertainment.

"H-he's with Neji-niisan," answered Hinata, who was, as usual, blushing and avoiding Naruto's eyes.

"Oh, what for? A snob convention?" Naruto, who was oblivious as always to Hinata's crush, kidded as Kiba snickered beside him.

Giggling lightly, Hinata replied, "Hokage-sama c-called them in earlier today for a f-follow up of their last mission."

"Oh yeah, that 'special' one with Shikamaru and Kurenai-sensei." Kiba added, a miffed look on his face. "Apparently it was top-secret."

"What? Why wasn't I asked to help?" Naruto exclaimed loudly, earning him a few annoyed looks from other passersby around them.

Kiba rolled his eyes and cheekily responded, "'Cause you ain't a jounin yet, fox-face."

Naruto punched his buddy and they stumbled towards the crowded vendor tents ahead. The conversation had held little meaning to either chunin and soon the cheerful events and bright lights were the only things on their minds.

**-Light-**

Sakura waved goodbye to a lady at the jewelers stall and spotted Hinata and the boys close by. Catching up to her friends, she only caught the end of their conversation. The medic nin turned her intelligent green eyes onto Hinata questioningly and with a small shake of her head, Hinata silently assuaged Sakura's current worries.

"Has there been any word of what he wants?" Hinata whispered to Sakura, light irises guarded.

"No, I was with Tsunade-sama earlier today and Kurenai informed her that he didn't want to talk. Shino tried to surround him with the insects, but he managed to escape and disarm Neji too," Sakura replied calmly even though her clenched jaw gave away her underlying frustration.

"I-is niisan alright?" Hinata demanded.

"Yes, he dodged in time," nodded Sakura, "but I gave him some balm to sooth the minor burns."

"At least _he_ isn't in offensives...yet," Hinata stated.

Sakura grimaced. "Right, but he's not afraid to killing anyone who stands in his way either."

"But, what could he possibly want here?" Hinata mused mournfully.

"If only we knew," sighed Sakura, "We'll have to keep rotating extra guards in the meantime. And Hinata?"

"Y-yes?"

"Naruto know's nothing right?" Sakura asked.

"We were under Hokage-sama's orders to not let worry spread just yet," said Hinata. "Naruto; she especially requested not to have him involved."

Sakura nodded, "Yes, but the threat has been spotted much more frequently the last few days. He seems to be circling the village. We'll probably all be on duty soon."

Hinata looked away from her friend and comrad's serious eyes and instead turned to watch Naruto fiddle with a chakra-infused lightstick up ahead. The Hyuuga heiress smiled softly as her object of affection entranced a group of academy kids with tricks that only the blond's brand of chakra could perform. The children looked transfixed upon the amazing golden flame that Naruto had managed to tame with the glowstick.

Naruto too, looked at ease. His cheerfully bright disposition lit up the night brighter than any of the colourful lights strung along the streets. Without turning back to look at Sakura, Hinata wistfully replied, "At least we should let Naruto-kun enjoy tonight. I don't want him to worry just yet."

"You're right," Sakura whispered, emerald eyes trained on the blond that seemed to bring joy and laughter wherever he went. "We can't let Sasuke put out the light."

**Chapter End  
**

This story will probably be about five chapters in length. Thanks for reading, and hopefully you will put up with my inherent laziness and general life dilemnas that delay future updates. I am determined to finish my first chaptered _Naruto_ fanfic though!


	2. Red Wax

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of its respective owner. No matter how I wish, Naruto does not belong to me.

**Warning: **Boyxboy. Most likely future smut. I changed the rating and labels just in case. Enjoy!

_Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness._

_~Chinese Proverb  
_

**Red Wax  
**

He hadn't planned on coming back. After the war, Sasuke had decided to abandon Konoha for good. Wipe the village from his mind. Not to despise it, but to avoid it altogether. While it was true that he had laid a hand in the final outcome that had saved Konoha from destruction, he saw no way of ever integrating back into the society that meant too much. To return to Konoha was to become a warrior fighting for his people. To return was also to accept that the death of his family was an inconsequential sacrifice.

A long time ago, he had told a certain idiot that he knew not why he spared his life. That it was only on a whim that he had shown mercy. The next time that he had shown mercy was at the final confrontation. The one that had assured peace in all the lands for at least a few decades, or until the strongest communities rebuilt themselves enough to attempt another hostile takeover. Why had Sasuke spared him, spared Konoha, when he could have just as easily crushed it into irreparable ruins? Why peace, when it was only a matter of time before the hate would foster war again? Sasuke was older and he had discovered surprising how great his capacity was to endure so much more pain and too many truths.

It went against everything he'd ever believed in. Everything he'd ever worked towards. But then again, everything was always changing, and despite the hurt, despite the confusion, he had to keep up. He fought for his pain, he fought for Uchiha, Sasuke fought for Itachi.

Perhaps in the end, what he could never escape was love.

Konoha was what Itachi had loved. When Sasuke had stood at the summit and gazed at all the limp bodies, raising his hand for the ultimate blow, he realized that his arms were raised to defend, not to destroy. Tears wet the dusty battleground, knowing that he had spared the leaf not for Itachi, but for himself.

**-Light-**

The moon was low in the sky, as Sakura leapt forward through the trees. She bounded lightly as chakra was sparingly dispersed at each touch of her feet to gnarled forest branch. Kurenai-sensei was still out on duty somewhere in these woods. The genjutsu expert was the only one from her squad to not have been thwarted by Sasuke. Sakura urged herself to go faster. Though it was in the wee hours of the morning, her adrenaline kept her wide awake. She had requested for backup, but Tsunade was probably still resting and wouldn't send for help until dawn. The worn out hokage hardly ever got a few hours of sleep each night.

No matter. If Sakura could find Kurenai Yuhi in time, they might be able to stand their ground against Sasuke. Kurenai was not a ninja to be underestimated, and Sasuke wasn't the only one of the rookie nine to have improved since the early days.

Ah. Sakura pulled her lips into an almost smile as she picked up on the faint markers of Kurenai's chakra. Judging from the strength of the marker, the older ninja must have passed by less than five minutes ago. Sakura focused on the distinct vagueness that was characteristic of the experienced ninja's energy. The fact that Sakura could even sense it however was most likely because Kurenai had purposefully left a track for aid to follow.

The pink haired kunoichi threaded through the baring deciduous trees and suddenly a wave of intense chakra washed over her. Slowing down to pause a few branches ahead, Sakura realised that she was still tuned in to Kurenai and that the chakra was emanating from directly below her. She carefully leapt down from the high branches and discovered a limp form huddled at the base of the tree.

Immediately, Sakura knelt to the wounded figure's side. Her hands already chakra infused, searching for wounds and broken bones.

"Is that you, Sakura?" Came Kurenai's light voice, it was raspy and weak.

"Yes, are you alright? What happened?" Sakura tried to control her fear, but it was hard not to think the worst when one of the village's jounins was trembling and incapacitated. Kurenai's face was deathly pale and her clothes seemed worn, although there didn't appear to be any shredded damage.

"He was here just a few moments ago. Don't worry about me. Find him, you don't have much time." Kurenai winced, "He-he used the mangekyo on me, but I'll be fine until help comes. Go!"

Yes, Sasuke's kekkei genkai would explain why Sakura couldn't detect any outward injuries. Still Sakura was hesitant. Something told her not to leave Kurenai's side. She couldn't quite place it, but something was very wrong.

"Sakura! I told you to go! This is a mission and you have an obligation to obey your squad leader. There is no time to lose! Our duty to accomplish this mission is priority," growled Kurenai. Despite her pain, the older ninja's red eyes flashed warningly. Then, she slumped over and rolled so that her back was to Sakura.

Pink eyebrows furrowed as Sakura was caught between staying and chasing after the already far away Sasuke. Finally, Sakura turned and prepared to bound once more for the treetops. The cold air of the night nipped at her exposed arms and Sakura shivered.

Suddenly, she turned. Her kunai already zipping through the air, slicing Kurenai straight through the back.

Just as Sakura had anticipated, the body disappeared in a sudden cloud of smoke, and a single leaf fluttered to the ground in its place. Sakura immediately jumped away just as she felt a shift in the wind to her right. A cut on her cheek bled fresh.

"Sasuke," whispered Sakura.

The missing nin, clad in a simple black shirt and equally dark pants, appeared out of nowhere and immediately lunged at her with his elbows aimed to knock her out. Sakura dodged and chuckled darkly. "That isn't going to work on me anymore."

Just as quickly as he had appeared, Sasuke disappeared. Sakura blinked as she saw his handsome face, sharp, and then fading, a brief afterimage in her mind. She shook her head gently, then concentrated on pinpointing her target's chakra. She frowned as she barely perceived the slightest hints given off during Sasuke's brief moments of stagnation. Too fast. He had gotten even faster since the last time she had met him on the blood-soiled battleground.

Focusing her chakra in her palms, Sakura made a sudden lurch to the right, aiming for a blow. She scowled as her move was deflected by a quick flick of her opponent's wrists. Sasuke swerved around her has she swung her leg, trying to land another blow. His movements were fluid and impeccably well-timed. Sakura may have anticipated his directions hitherto, but damn, he was quick.

Sasuke lashed his arm out, aiming for a strike at Sakura's head, but she ducked just in time and struck a fist sideways toward his stomach. The way they were positioned, locked in combat, Sakura got a plain view of Sasuke's face. Just looking at his face, pale and gaunt, sapped some of her anger away. Sasuke's sharp features were more pronounced than ever and his eyes were so dark. She couldn't help but look into the murky depths and see the drowning hopelessness that Sasuke no longer bothered to hide.

In that one instant, Sakura forgot why she hated Sasuke. She saw the child that watched his family's demise. She saw the teammate that put his life on the line to save her on treacherous missions. She saw the boy who tried so hard to be a man, only to crumble under the weight of his brother's ideals. She saw the shinobi that held the fate of innumerable lives in his hands. She saw the man that broke Naruto's heart and along with it turned all who held the blond precious against him.

Naruto.

Sasuke was the one who had hurt him. He was the monster that had salvaged the village, but stolen the fire. Sakura hated him, hated him for making her chest hurt every time she caught Naruto alone. Every time the blond would turn to her with a dazzling smile on his face and bright blue eyes, but his hands would be wet with the tears that he had just moments before hurriedly wiped away.

What hurts Sakura the most is that she remembers. We all remember past the pain, back to the times when everything was good and simple. And we wonder at what could have been.

Despite all the pain, Sasuke is still beautiful to her.

Sakura's fist hit the air, where Sasuke's midsection should have been. She felt the breeze that Sasuke's move made only after he had already slipped away from their close combat position. Then, Sakura brought her arms in front of her face just as a series of flaming shurikens appeared before her. She leapt backwards to avoid the revolving blades, but the weapons still left an intense streak of burns on her arms. How could he have he pulled that off so fast she wondered. Sakura ignored the ache in her arms as she tried once again to gauge the missing nin's movements.

She felt the Uchiha heading for the hind trees and leapt in pursuit before he could launch another attack. Sakura threw out a blur of punches as she neared Sasuke's vicinity. The punches were met with blocks, but Sakura could tell that she was holding her own. Sakura thanked Tsunade for all the training in close combat. Next to Lee and the Hyuugas, she was probably one of the best at landing accurate, successive blows.

She squinted her eyes and strained her arms to move faster as she infused more chakra into her palms. She aimed for any openings that she could detect, and finally, she landed a blow. She felt Sasuke jolt as her hand connected with his chest.

Then a familiar plume of nubilous haze appeared. Sakura blinked and in Sasuke's place was a thick tree branch, freshly severed. Sakura seethed in desperate frustration as the product of Sasuke's escape jutsu clattered to the ground.

The medic nin raised her abused arms to block a sudden wave of flames, but instead felt excruciating stabs at her back as three kunai knives lodged near her shoulder blades. Sakura fell to her knees, and then face forward into the matted grass. Sasuke had tricked her with the illusory inferno.

Just as she heard the crisp whistling of more kunai through the air, this time bearing lethal intent aimed for her spine, a uniform clinking of metals were heard just inches from her body. Twisting sideways, despite the pain, Sakura turned to see an enormous canine and its rider approaching her and her opponent. The kunai, and shuriken that deflected them, lay in pieces by her feet.

Gazing upwards, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "Am I glad to see you, Kiba, Akamaru."

Kiba gave Sakura a quick nod before turning to Sasuke, who was standing only a few feet away, eyeing the new company. "We don't want you here," Kiba said coldly, while Akamaru bared his fangs. "You chose your way, so don't think that you can come back and see him anytime you want. We won't let you hurt Naruto again. He's healing just fine without you, you've done enough damage as it is."

Sasuke stood his ground and for the first time since their encounter, he spoke, "Don't worry, I won't be hurting him. I have no intention of seeing Naruto again. Though there is something that I must do here before I leave."

With those words said, Sasuke was already gone, his sonorous voice echoing in the two shinobi's heads. With a start, Kiba cried out. "After him!"

"Wait! Kiba," Sakura called out, "Where's Kurenai-sensei?"

"Oh damn!" Kiba's voice rose in frustrated horror, "I saw her a while back in the woods! Sasuke knocked her out."

"We can't leave her there! We have to take her back to the village and warn Tsunade!" exclaimed Sakura. She tried to get up, but winced at the pain that ran from her hand to her shouder.

"You're right," Kiba nodded, helping Sakura onto Akamaru's back as they raced back into the forests. The sky was getting brighter in increments and the approach of dawn's light led their way back to their sensei, then Konoha.

**-Light-**

Sasuke fluidly glided through the air as he tried to remember his way around Konoha's outskirts. He had to make it in time or else those two would beat him to the village and it would be too late. Sasuke saw the village's surrounding walls eastwards of the direction he was currently heading and added more power into every spring through the branches. Then he saw a vast opening right before him and he jumped through the trees to land on the rocky base. It turned out to be the edge of an outcrop that overlooked a boundless lake.

A single figure stood at the edge of the promontory. Blond hair blazed fiery golden as the early sun rose behind him. Sasuke hooded his eyes against the orange glare and saw that the person had his back to the sun. Blue eyes that reflected the pink tones of the morning sky locked with midnight orbs. The missing nin saw the barest movement of lips.

Naruto's voice was lifted by the winter breeze and drifted to caress his ears, "Sasuke."

**Chapter End**

Thanks for staying to read. I've written for other fandoms before Naruto and I just thought it was strange that I never tried for it.

Your thoughts?


	3. Underneath the Underneath

**Disclaimer:** _Naruto_ and its characters do not belong to me T_T

**Warning: **Boyxboy themes. Smutty content. Excessive name calling (of the inappropriate language kind). Please forgive me for my barely passable excuse for a story! Feel free to point out any mistakes you see. Happy New Year!

0-0

_Who is more foolish, the child afraid of the dark or the man afraid of the light?_

_~Maurice Freehill_

**Underneath the Underneath**

"You know, bastard, I only asked 'cause I wanted to hear you say it," said Naruto as he reached a hand out to snatch a carrot from Sasuke's lunch. The two genin were sitting on the dry summer grass near their usual training ground. Lately, they had been spending a lot of free time together working on perfecting their combination tactics. Currently, they were taking a break after training for most of the morning.

"Asked what?" questioned Sasuke in a bored tone even though by now Naruto could tell that the proud Uchiha was curious.

"Your name. That night in the forest," replied Naruto between distracting crunches of his gnashing teeth. Even though the kyuubi vessel was being vague, Sasuke remembered exactly which night Naruto was referring to.

"The fireflies," replied the Uchiha succinctly. Then his interest peaked again. "Then why d'you ask, idiot?"

"Like I said, I wanted to hear you say it," answered Naruto, "We were in the same academy, but I'd never had a chance to talk to you."

"Hn," was Sasuke's only reply. The truth was, it had been the same for him that night. They had certainly known about each other for long enough, but it was quite obvious from the beginning that they were not the same kind of people. Still, when the two had first seen each other, they had harboured a secret desire to someday get to know the other personally.

Ever since the first day at the academy when a scrawny kid with hair the colour of honey straw traded glances with a little boy that had the trained façade of a noble, something that neither could quite fathom had taken root. There was a certain spark that seemed to zip straight through the crowds of students, parents, and teachers that was only felt by the two. Both were linked by a thin strand of curiosity and it wasn't until the chanced meeting in the forest that Naruto and Sasuke had really connected their ends.

"It's kind of disappointing how things went back to the way they were after the winter break though," mused Naruto as he thought back on the short and precious moment that they'd shared. A quick glance at Sasuke saw a brief flash of guilt dance over the other boy's handsome features. Naruto wouldn't usually bring up the past, not when they were so content with the present. They had been getting closer during the last few months though, and Naruto had been getting spoiled on Sasuke's good humour, so his innate nosiness finally pushed him to tease at the boundaries.

"Well," Sasuke spoke after a few moments of tense silence for the blond, "You _were_ really an idiot."

Just like that, being boys, the tension evaporated and Naruto's offended expression of surprise garnered a rare chuckle from the usually stolid Uchiha. The chuckle turned into a smirk as Naruto pouted rather adorably. Sasuke noted how only Naruto could pull off looking incredibly dimwitted but still charmingly cute at the same time. Of course the second that the blond opened his mouth, his general crudeness dispelled the momentarily endearing effect.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot. For a supposed _genius_, your vocabulary sure isn't very big, bastard," retorted Naruto hotly.

"I'm only trying to accommodate your own microscopic lexicon," replied Sasuke smoothly. Naruto despised that infuriatingly cocky smirk. He wouldn't admit it, could it made him feel stirrings that were not entirely disagreeable. "Idiot."

Naruto's blue eyes widened in shock and not a moment later, he lunged for Sasuke, tackling the unprepared Uchiha to the ground. Their lunches scattered in the crispy grass around them. The two boys tumbled in a messy brawl. Their physical attacks were very much ruthless (though not entirely serious considering they could have easily obliterated each other with their new jutsus).

They exchanged rapid blows, tumbled in the dried terrain, and finally, Sasuke pinned both of Naruto's shoulders to the ground. He had Naruto's thighs trapped beneath his legs and both boys panted for breath under the hot midday sun.

Unintentionally, Sasuke looked right into Naruto's eyes and a curious sensation welled in his stomach. He saw something more than friendly rivalry swirl in the turmoiled blue. This wasn't the first time that Sasuke had seen that look. It had been happening a lot more frequently in the past while. Sasuke couldn't help but admit that he was quickly growing familiar with the scary yet pleasant feeling stirring in his gut.

At any rate, neither had felt this way under such close physical proximity before. Naruto's ridiculously long and thick eyelashes fluttered like gold flakes, fanning over his flushed cheeks. Before Sasuke knew it, he had pressed his lips to Naruto's or perhaps it was the other way around. Suddenly, He couldn't remember where he was or what he was doing. Everything faded except for the sensations. His heart was racing in his ears and despite the initial apprehension that rolled in his belly, he found himself only capable of focusing on the soft lips kissing his and the steady grip at his waist.

Sasuke felt the hands on his waist stroke up and down, leaving a trail of hot, hot, fire all along his side. The sensation of being touched like this for the first time was akin to being branded. Perhaps it was instinct, but Sasuke couldn't help rolling his hips and the hips trapped beneath began to react in synch. Bursts of indescribable feelings ran through him and Sasuke felt heady with pleasure.

Something velvety soft pressed at the corner of Sasuke's mouth and he quickly surmised that it was a probing tongue. During the brief instant of lucidness, Sasuke realized that he had a writhing Naruto pinned beneath him in the middle of an open field where any passerby could see them. But just as soon, Sasuke chose to push the thoughts away and delved back into the scorching waters of oblivion. He continued to meet each of Naruto's thrusts and allowed his tongue to dance with the blond's. Naruto's scent, lush and faintly pineapple, enveloped him and Sasuke felt raging lust course through him. His head spun every time he swallowed Naruto's moans and the intense sensations fanned from his groin throughout his entire being.

As with all things gratifying, the end came much too soon. Sasuke's eyes opened blearily when Naruto's keening paused for a split second along with the rest of his body. Sasuke felt his own body tense too as the culmination of all the dizzying pleasure sent a searing white heat through him. He collapsed on top of Naruto and groaned when their sensitive cocks grazed through the thin fabrics of their pants.

As the world faded back in from the peripheries of his vision, Sasuke felt the soothing pleasures ease into a glowing haze. The dark haired ninja felt Naruto's whimper underneath him and he pushed himself off with great effort to avoid suffocating the blond.

Lying beside Naruto, Sasuke turned his head to look at his teammate's face. Sasuke found Naruto staring back. The Uchiha couldn't feel the cooling sensation in his pants, only the warmth that gathered again at his cheeks. He imagined that he must have looked like a clown, what with the vermillion rouge clashing with his inherited albinism. Sasuke breathed an incredulous sigh. "Damn."

Naruto smiled and his eyes crinkled until the sapphires were but cresent slices. "Damn _right_."

**-Light-**

There he was. Standing on the edge of the Earth, the horizon at his back. Naruto had probably grown taller still since the last time they had seen each other nearly three years ago. His face was hard to see, hidden in shadows as it was. But the piercing blue, where his eyes were, seemed to cut through the short distance between them straight to Sasuke's chest. A few times when Sasuke had been alone on his chosen path, he had asked himself when, if ever, _that look_ would stop having an effect on him.

Sasuke knew that this time he should have anticipated the sharp electricity that buzzed in the cool air. Naruto may have grown physically through the years, but he was still Naruto. Sasuke's heart thumped faster against his will and something lodged in his throat. Naruto's silhouette glowed and Sasuke knew no other word to describe it but "Angel." The words slipped from his mouth of their own accord. Sasuke felt everything in the world stop when Naruto looked at him.

Then just as quickly, the world was moving again. Not in swift, constant fluidity, but in its choppy, clear moments. One second Naruto stood like a saintly statue, the next he was running. Charging towards Sasuke.

And Sasuke turned away.

When the world moved, Sasuke moved. Sasuke was faster than Naruto and he fled the momentary distraction for his true purpose in Konoha. He was so close to it. If he hadn't met Naruto at the outcrop he would have gotten there by now.

As Sasuke ran, he wondered if he lost the pursuing blond. In what seemed like an infinite number of steps, but in reality were mere minutes, Sasuke was where he told himself he needed to be. He stood in front of the cracked arch of the Uchiha compound. For a moment, all he did was gaze. Then, he entered.

It may have been years, but Sasuke remembered all the little alleyways. The Uchiha compound had been the largest of all of Konoha's clans, most likely because there was room for more construction on the outskirts of the village. Sasuke looked at the ghost town through cold black eyes. This, he had expected.

Moss eaten, abandoned houses lined the streets as Sasuke walked. He saw more and more of his childhood. Each building embodied memories, and each step that he took threw him into the beckoning hands of nostalgia. Sasuke felt the creeping tendrils of desolation reach out for him. He let them wrap their fingers around him and dragged them along to his destination. The day was mostly dark and the slanting roofs of the buildings cast ominous shadows all along way.

Finally, Sasuke stopped in front of the last house on the street. The biggest house. The imposing building in which he had resided before his nightmare had begun.

With quick movements, Sasuke mounted the rotting wooden steps and pushed through the unlocked doors into his family's home. A soft light slanted into the empty greeting room from an open window. Guided by the dim illumination, Sasuke ran through to the adjoining chamber. From there, he spied the spacious corridor and headed down in search for a single room, the master chamber. Sasuke steeled himself as he pushed through the double doors to his parent's room and couldn't suppress an involuntary shudder as fragments of memories flashed through his mind.

Sasuke took a shaky breath and walked unsteadily to the far corner of the dark room. He awakened his sharingan and looked up to find the expected hinges along the last ceiling panel. Gauging the wooden board's width, Sasuke leapt and threw a punch that blasted it straight off of its frame. He hadn't bothered removing the secret attic door the conventional way knowing that the fulcrums had probably already rusted away.

From the main floor, Sasuke jumped again to land inside the attic. His crimson eyes scanned the darkness, looking for something. He made a low growl as he saw only old furniture sitting silently collecting dust. Where were all the packaged boxes? All of his belongings were gone. Sasuke felt disbelief and irritation well up as he continued to stare at the nearly empty space. Finally, he sighed. It was useless to just stand there cursing at the dark so the aggravated ninja climbed back down through the hole in the floor.

He landed without a sound and walked through the master chamber once more, not knowing what to do. If nothing was here, then he had come back to this hellhole for nothing. As Sasuke made his way towards the exit of the building his mind spun in confused, frustrated circles. Then, he heard something. Sasuke paused in the middle of the long hall, listening for the noise. It seemed to be coming from one of the bedrooms.

Quietly, Sasuke approached the half opened door to the room. His room.

With heightened senses, the stealthy Uchiha gently pushed the door open wider and looked in. To the right of the fair-sized room stood Naruto. He was staring at a photo on Sasuke's dresser. It was a younger picture of Sasuke with his kaasan. Sensing eyes burning holes into the side of his head, Naruto turned to fully face the expressionless Uchiha.

For once, Sasuke spoke first, "What are you doing in my house?"

"When you were gone, I always came here," Naruto struggled to find words when Sasuke was standing merely a few steps away. "Figured if you ever came back, this'd be the first place you'd go."

Sasuke almost laughed at the irony. "It's true." Naruto felt coldness brush along his spine at Sasuke's cynical tone.

"Why are you here?" Naruto demanded. "You said you wouldn't come back!" He didn't know whether or not he was accusing the Uchiha.

"I only came to retrieve some of my possessions. Since they're no longer here, I'll be leaving." Sasuke turned to go. "Afterall, that's what you'd want."

"No," Naruto said, following Sasuke, "That's not what I want, damn you, bastard!"

Sasuke stopped briefly at the entrance to the main greeting room. "Idiot." Then he swiftly made for the front doors.

"Wait!" cried Naruto, "I can get you your stuff back. I know where it is. Just…" Sasuke made a full turn to stare at Naruto with blood red eyes. Naruto's heart lurched. "Just wait, Sasuke."

**-Light-**

They had surreptitiously infiltrated the heart of Konoha with next to no setback. Most of the streets were empty even though the Sun was well up by now. Perhaps the revellers from last night's festivities were still sleeping in.

Half an hour later found the two ninjas in the middle of the village inside a dingy one-bedroom apartment. Naruto left Sasuke's side to open an obscure closet inside his room. He brushed aside mismatching coat hangers and several identical (and hideous in Sasuke's opinion) orange track suits to pull out two separate boxes. Then, Naruto sneezed as the build-up of dust scattered around him.

"Here," the sniffing blond said, gesturing to the dull cardboard boxes. "Before Baa-chan sent the investigation team to sort through your stuff, I snuck in to see if I could keep anything in case you ever got back. I didn't have time to take everything, I tried though S'uke. It's mostly a lot of sentimental stuff that they wouldn't really notice. Hopefully you can find whatever it is you're looking for. I got a few of your family's scrolls though, it you're looking for intel—"

"Shut up," said Sasuke, and Naruto's mouth formed a silent O. The blond's face flushed and he scratched at the back of his neck. Naruto silently watched as Sasuke immediately proceeded to open the first box, disregarding the hazy cloud of dust that floated around him. Sasuke carefully took out an old mug with an Uchiha symbol on it, examined the piece, and put it aside. He removed another item, an old china doll and like the mug, examined it before putting it aside.

Naruto could feel a fuzzy numbness in his legs as he remained in his squatting position, watching his friend—something about that word didn't seem quite right—in a dazed manner. It felt sort of surreal seeing Sasuke perform such a banal task right in the middle of his bedroom floor. Naruto couldn't seem to reconcile what he thought was impossible with the reality at hand. Was it really this easy? After running around, chasing, fighting each other, wallowing in hurt and self-pity, Sasuke could just appear out of thin air and come willingly to Naruto's home?

The doubtful blond observed the subtle shifting of Sasuke's slender form under his shapeless clothing as the Uchiha pulled out another mug. A sudden thought materialized in Naruto's head as they were wont to do. Perhaps now would be a good time to jump the Uchiha. Afterall, when was Naruto going to have another opportunity like this? Never, if fate remained as cruel as always.

Naruto glared at the back of Sasuke's head, wanting to pet and maybe tame the dishevelled ebony locks, but he sighed instead. If the blond had had ocular abilities, Sasuke's head would already be severed from his neck where Naruto kept staring at his nape. He thought it was ridiculous how pale Sasuke was. The stark difference between his hair and skin must have defied some rule of genetical inheritance. It had used to bother him a lot when Sasuke had legions of female admirers fawning over him. Now, Naruto wished that his only problem with Sasuke was a simple matter of childish jealousy.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like a chick?" It was out before his brain could repress his wayward tongue. Naruto flushed again as Sasuke flashed him a scathing glare.

"If you don't have anything better to do than checking me out, you can help search the other box," said Sasuke in retaliation.

"I wasn't checking you out!" Naruto cried defensively. "You narcissistic bastard."

Sasuke ignored Naruto's comment and gave a pleased nod as he found an old scroll. He held the roll in his hand for a second to admire it before tucking it into a buttoned pocket on his pants.

"So…what do you want me to look for?" Naruto finally asked.

"A porcelain comb and a shuriken," replied Sasuke shortly.

"Any shuriken?" asked Naruto as he began to open the other box. The other boy did not answer so Naruto decided to just dig through and probe Sasuke when he discovered something worth noting. Naruto put aside quite a few scrolls, mostly fundamental Uchiha techniques by the looks of it. He also found a wind chime, a set of copper vases with ancient engravings and other antique pieces. Then, near the bottom of the box, Naruto's hand brushed along two small pouches that made metallic clinking noises.

He took hold of the pouches and undid their carefully knotted bindings. The blond poured the contents out onto the floor. The slightly larger bag produced an impressive set of kunai and shurikens, and the smaller one had only one of each basic weapon. One glance at the lone shuriken of the more meagre of the two piles, and Naruto knew that it was the one that Sasuke had wanted.

Unlike the other shurikens, this one was smaller but polished to perfection. Its blades gleamed as Naruto held the sharpened weapon to the light.

"Wow, this is some heirloom, bastard," chuckled Naruto appreciatively. Sasuke looked over and swiftly snatched it from Naruto's hold.

"It belonged to Itachi," was Sasuke's way of explaining his sudden, possessive behaviour. Huffing, Naruto went back to perusing the box's contents. He removed a packet of herb seeds, an old clock, and more scrolls, but no comb. Then, the blond's hands grasped a rectangular wooden block and Naruto found himself holding a worn picture frame.

There were three people in the photo. They were spending time at a lake on a sunny day. There was a proud father teaching his youngest son how to swim as the small child floated with the careful aid of his older brother beside him. The handsome trio had on brilliant smiles and their black locks all dripped crystals that scattered the light. Everything seemed perfect and Naruto wanted to praise the photographer for her flawless timing. He was snapped out of his mesmerized trance when Sasuke said, "That will do. We'll leave the comb."

Naruto turned to nod at Sasuke when suddenly he felt the other ninja tense. Then, Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke's hands blurred to perform an incredibly fast seal. The dark haired ninja motioned for the blond to follow him as he leapt to crouch upside down from the ceiling.

Quickly, he followed suit and Naruto's sandals found purchase on the splintering wood above. Not a moment later, he sensed, more than heard, the light footsteps of an intruder at the door. Naruto felt Sasuke's hand cover his mouth to prevent him from speaking as he saw two ANBU members step into the room.

**Chapter End**

A/N: Fufufu…Sasuke isn't a completely cold-hearted (tempted to say bastard, but it's already been overused!) moron. Next chapter will see some relationship development.

Reviews are greatly appreciated! And I'll throw in some finely braided Uchiha hair (if you happen to be of the fetish kind).

Happy New Year!


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